Chemical sensor with conductive cup-shaped sensor surface

Abstract

A system includes a sensor including a sensor pad and a well wall structure defining a well operatively coupled to the sensor pad. The well is further defined by a lower surface disposed over the sensor pad. The well wall structure defines an upper surface and defines a wall surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface. The system further includes a conductive layer disposed over the lower surface and the wall surface.

1 . A system comprising:
 a sensor including a sensor pad;   a well wall structure defining a well operatively coupled to the sensor pad, the well further defined by a lower surface disposed over the sensor pad, the well wall structure defining an upper surface and defining a wall surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface;   a conductive layer disposed over the lower surface and extending incompletely up the wall surface; and   a layer disposed over the conductive layer over the lower surface and the wall surface, the layer including an oxide of aluminum, tantalum, hafnium, zirconium, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface is free of the conductive layer. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the layer is further disposed over the upper surface of the well wall structure. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a coating disposed over the layer. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the coating includes a functional group selected from a group consisting of phosphate, phosphonate, catechol, nitrocatechol, boronate, phenylboronate, imidazole, silanol, another pH-sensing group, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is formed of a material having a volume resistivity of not greater than 6.0×10̂7 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 1.0×10̂7 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 5.0×10̂6 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 2.0×10̂6 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer includes a metallic material. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the metallic material is copper, aluminum, titanium, gold, silver, platinum, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer includes a ceramic layer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the ceramic material is titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, titanium oxynitride, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a sensor system, the method comprising:
 forming a well wall structure defining a well operatively coupled to a sensor pad of a sensor, the well further defined by a lower surface disposed over the sensor pad, the well wall structure defining an upper surface and defining a wall surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface;   forming a conductive layer over the lower surface and extending incompletely up the wall surface; and   forming a layer disposed over the conductive layer over the lower surface and the wall surface, the layer including an oxide of aluminum, tantalum, hafnium, zirconium, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the conductive layer is formed of a material having a volume resistivity of not greater than 6.0×10̂7 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 1.0×107 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 5.0×106 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the volume resistivity is not greater than 2.0×106 ohm-m at 25° C. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the conductive layer includes a metallic material. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the metallic material is copper, aluminum, titanium, gold, silver, platinum, or a combination thereof.